- Enkephalin
protein
Name=proenkephalin
caption=
width=
HGNCid=8831
Symbol=PENK
AltSymbols=
EntrezGene=5179
OMIM=131330
RefSeq=NM_006211
UniProt=P01210
PDB=
ECnumber=
Chromosome=8
Arm=q
Band=23
LocusSupplementaryData=-q24An enkephalin is a
pentapeptide involved in regulatingpain andnociception in the body. The enkephalins are termed endogenousligand s, or specificallyendorphin s, as they are internally derived and bind to the body's opioid receptors. Discovered in 1975, two forms of enkephalin were revealed, one containingleucine ("leu"), while the other containsmethionine ("met"). Both are products of the proenkephalin gene.*
Met-enkephalin is Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met.
*Leu-enkephalin has Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu.Endogenous opioid peptides
There are three well-characterized families of opioid peptides produced by the body: enkephalins,
endorphins anddynorphins . The met-enkephalin peptide sequence is coded for by both the enkephalin gene and the endorphin gene (also known as the POMC gene) and that the leu-enkephalin peptide sequence is coded for by both the enkephalin gene and the dynorphin gene. [ [http://drugabuse.gov/pdf/monographs/70.pdf Opioid peptides: Molecular pharmacology, biosynthesis and analysis] , R.S. Rapaka and R. L. Hawks (editors) in aNational Institute on Drug Abuse Research Monograph (#70), 1986.]Enkephalin receptor
The receptors for enkephalin are the
opioid receptor s. These are a group ofG-protein coupled receptor s, with otheropioid s asligand s as well. The otherendogenous opioids aredynorphin s,endorphin s, endomorphins and nociceptin/orphanin FQ. The opioid receptors are ~40% identical tosomatostatin receptors (SSTRs).ee also
*
Endorphin
*Opioid peptide
*Racecadotril
*RB-101 References
External links
*
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
